MAKE Beauty Review

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You guys, I think I have a neutral-makeup problem.

Seriously though. Every time I check the makeup subs on reddit or look at my social media feed, it’s full of colorful eyeshadows, dramatic contouring, ‘instagram brows’ and generally just tons of things that could have come straight out of the NYX Face Awards. I love seeing those kinds of looks, but it’s not something I really do on myself (though I’ve been trying to branch out a little, see my instagram for proof). For one thing I feel like my skill level isn’t quite there yet (I didn’t really get into makeup until I was about 27 or so) and my life just isn’t one that demands a lot of high-impact makeup. Sort of the opposite, actually. I have a full time office job (luckily one where nobody minds purple hair and bright pink lipstick!) and my social activities are pretty low-key – trivia night at the bar, dinner with friends, an occasional concert.

The end result of all that is, well, my everyday makeup look is pretty tame. Lots of neutral eyeshadow, pink lipstick, etc, etc. You’d think I’d be bored with that by now, but nope! I’m always excited when I find products that help enable my roll-out-of-bed-and-go ways, and recently I added a couple more to my stash. I was recently sent a couple of adorable samples from MAKE Beauty which are perfect for no-makeup makeup.

MAKE is a brand that’s been on my radar for a while, but kind of out on the edges. I’ve seen it mentioned now and again online (mostly by those lucky ducks who have easy access to Barneys) but I hadn’t ever actually, y’know, gone and bought any of it myself because I like to try things out first if I can. Well that, and there are limits to how much makeup I can actually buy. So my point is, these are the first products I’ve tried from the brand and I was excited to get my hands on them.

So which ones showed up in my mailbox? I got samples of MAKE’s Matte Finish Eyeshadow in Alabaster, and their Silk Cream Lipstick in Taffy. Both are ultimate nude-palette colors on my light-medium skin.

Alabaster is an example of matte eyeshadows done right. I’m not a cosmetic formulator or anything, but matte formulas seem to be the trickiest ones to produce, at least judging by how many disappointing ones are out there. Not the case with this one! It glides right onto my eyelid with a silky texture, and is great for blending out the edges of my crease color. Alabaster is really close to my actual skin tone, so I’ve been using it as a base for my other powder shadows. On days when I’m too rushed for the full eye makeup deal, it has enough color payoff to neutralize the discoloration on my lids from allergies & Careprost use.

Taffy is the perfect lipstick pairing to go along with Alabaster. It’s a sheer, cool pink that brightens up my lips just enough. It applies evenly straight from the bullet and feels lightweight and moisturizing. Like most moisturizing lipsticks, it sacrifices a little bit in the wear-time department – I find myself reapplying every 3 hours or so. Other than that there’s no fuss to it. No migrating or feathering, and it seems to wear off evenly (though honestly it’s so close to my natural color that it’s a little hard to tell). My only minor nit-pick about it is the smell; it isn’t strong but it reminds me of crayons. The Birchbox site lists the primary ingredients as lanolin & various waxes (oddly the MAKE Beauty site doesn’t have an ingredient list – I’ll list those at the bottom), so that hint of eau de crayola isn’t too surprising. On the bright side, if you hate lipsticks with strong artificial fragrances, this is a really solid option.

Overall I’m really pleased with these two products. The colors definitely aren’t ones to draw attention from everyone you pass in the street, but they’ve both become basic staples for me.

MAKE Beauty Matte Finish Eyeshadow ($25) and Silk Cream Lipstick ($25) are available at makebeauty.com. You can also get 20% off with the promo code MAKEYOURSELF through 5/31/2016.

Silk Cream Lipstick Ingredients: Lanolin Oil Polybutene Cetyl Ricinoleate Glyceryl Triacetyl Hydroxystearate Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax Glyceryl Triacetyl Ricinoleate Synthetic Wax Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax Wheat Germ Glycerides Rosa Canina Fruit Oil Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract Allantoin Retinyl Palmitate Tocopheryl Acetate Tocopherol Ascorbyl Palmitate Silica Tin Oxide Phenoxyethanol Hexylene Glycol Caprylyl Glycol Fragrance (Parfum) May Contain Mica Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499) Red 7 Lake (CI 15850) Red 6 (CI 15850) Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140)

Matte Finish Eyeshadow Ingredients: Talc Polyethylene Zinc Stearate Tricaprylin Tocopherol Ascorbyl Palmitate Chlorphenesin Tetrasodium EDTA Potassium Sorbate May Contain (+/-) Mica Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499) Ultramarines (CI 77007) Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) Manganese Violet (CI 77742) Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289) Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288) Carmine (CI 75470) Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510) Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163) Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140) Red 40 Lake (CI 16035) Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090)

This post was created in collaboration with MAKE Beauty & BrandBacker. I received the products for review.

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